Marine planning: legislation

• Marine (Scotland) Act provides a framework which will help balance competing demands on Scotland's seas.
• UK Marine and Coastal Access Act
• Water Framework Directive was introduced in 2000 to establish systems to manage the water environment, and was transposed into Scots Law in 2003. The WFD applies to all water in the natural environment - rivers, lochs, estuaries, coastal and underground water.
• Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 introduces a more sustainable and modern approach to flood risk management, suited to the needs of the 21st century and to the impact of climate change.
• Coast Protection Act 1949
• Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007
• Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 2003
• Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (EU Birds Directive) Marine Scotland leads on the implementation of the EU Birds Directive in Scottish territorial waters and the Scottish offshore region. This includes designation and management of SPAs, establishing and operating a system of strict protection for particular species that are listed in the Directive, and responsibility for surveillance and monitoring of the species and habitats protected by the Directive.
• Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (EU Habitats Directive) Marine Scotland leads on the implementation of the EU Habitats Directive in Scottish territorial waters and the Scottish offshore region. This includes designation and management of SACs, establishing and operating a system of strict protection for particular species that are listed in the Directive, and responsibility for surveillance and monitoring of the species and habitats protected by the Directive.
• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
• Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 in combination with the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 implements the EU Birds and Habitats Directives in the inshore area.
• Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 contains legal provisions to implement national-level policies on nature conservation including equivalent protection for some other species of national importance and a biodiversity duty on all public bodies inside territorial waters, which is implemented in Scottish territorial waters by the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.
• Offshore Marine Conservation Regulations (2007) implements the EU Birds and Habitats Directives in the UK offshore area
• Conservation of Seals Act 1970
• Conservation of Seals (Scotland) Order 2004
• Conservation of Seals (Scotland) Order 2007
• The Scottish Marine Regions Order 2015